Category Archives: 3 – Indifferent (might buy, probably drink)

Sierra Nevada x Mahrs Bräu Oktoberfest 2016

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. x Mahrs Bräu
Country: USA
ABV: 6%
Style: German Oktoberfest/Märzen
Other Notes: Fall seasonal, one time only

Brewer Description: (from bottle) We’ve partnered with Mahrs Bräu, one of Germany’s most highly regarded brewers, to create a golden-hued festival beer right here in the USA. Using traditional techniques, heritage German barley, and the Record hop varietal – a nearly forgotten German-grown hop – we’ve created the most authentic take on the style this side of the Atlantic.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.27
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.2

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle packaged on 14th July 2016 and poured into a Mikkeller pint glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear golden colour with a less than one finger white head that dissipated quickly with minimal sparse lacing.
Aroma: Grassy, hay, grain, sweet bready and maybe a touch of honey.
Taste: Grassy, grain, slightly sweet honey, pilsner malt, lightly floral and bready.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light to medium bodied with light to moderate carbonation.
Overall: Slightly sweet for me, and I was expecting more carbonation, but not bad.

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

sierra-nevada-x-mahrs-brau-oktoberfest-2016-3

Boulevard Dark Truth Stout (Smokestack Series)

Brewery: Boulevard Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 9.7%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 60 IBUs. Malts – Pale Malt, Amber 50, Cara 120, Cara 300, Chocolate, Roasted Barley, Chocolate Rye, Malted Rye, Malted Wheat, Honey Naked Oats and Flaked Oats. Hops – Magnum, Zeus, Citra and Perle. Other – Brown Sugar and Dark Brown Sugar.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Roasted English malts provide a deep, rich texture, Belgian yeast bestows plum-like fruitiness, and German hops add spicy aromas as Dark Truth Stout mellows to a smooth, dry, smoky finish.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.94
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a best by date of 24th February 2017, and poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: It poured a pitch black colour with a one finger tanned head that dissipated quickly but left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasty coffee, chocolate, crème brûlée, caramel, some dark fruits like plum and fig and a touch of smokiness.
Taste: Similar to the aroma except the dark fruits and char smokiness are more prominent whereas the roasty coffee and chocolate notes are more in the background. There is also some bitterness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to low carbonation and a dry finish.
Overall: This was an interesting Imperial Stout. Body was a lighter than I prefer and carbonation perhaps a tad too high. But still definitely worth a try.

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

boulevard-dark-truth-stout-smokestack-series-3

Prairie Ape Snake

Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales
Country: USA
ABV: 7.9%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Brewed and bottled by Krebs Brewing Co., Krebs, Oklahoma

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Dry hopped dark farmhouse ale.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.77
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 16.9 fl oz (500ml) bottle with a Julian bottled on date of 00416, meaning it was bottled on 4th January 2016. Poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: It poured a dark dark brown, close to black colour with a big three finger tanned head with good retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Funky, musty, wet hay with citrusy rind and a hint of tropical fruit and flowers.
Taste: Earthy, roasty coffee and chocolate, wet hay, rosemary, caramel, light funkiness and citrus rind.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation, dry finish.
Overall: I don’t have much access to many varieties of dark Saisons to compare with, but this was interesting. A little muddled in my opinion with the wide range in taste, yet in the end, it does still kind of manage to mix well enough.

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

prairie-ape-snake-3

d’Achouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel

Brewery: Brasserie d’Achouffe
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9%
Style: Belgian IPA

Brewer Description: (from website) Houblon Chouffe was brewed for the first time in 2006. It is an Indian Pale Ale, characterised by a harmonious balance between a pleasant fruitiness and pronounced bitterness by using three types of hops. Houblon Chouffe is an unfiltered beer which is refermented both in the bottle and in barrels.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.88
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before end date of November 2016 and poured into a d’Achouffe tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy pale blonde colour with a big three finger white head that had great retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Belgian yeast and banana along with pear, apple and a hint of pine.
Taste: Pine, bitterness and lightly spicy followed by light banana and honey sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Dry, crisp, medium bodied with moderate tingly carbonation.
Overall: A nice solid brew that hides the alcohol well.

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

dachouffe-houblon-dobbelen-ipa-tripel-3

Clan Brewing Spruce Ale

Brewery: Clan Brewing Company
Country: Scotland
ABV: 8%
Style: Herbed / Spiced Beer
Other Notes: Matured in Islay whisky casks

Brewer Description: (from website) A classic combination of two traditional methods of creating uniquely Scottish liquids: smoky peat on a sweet, resinous full body. Smoky, fruity, intense, full-bodied. Aged in Islay whisky casks for an absurdly long time. The perfect drinking occasion is to share these complex craft brews with good friends.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.36
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of end of February 2019 and poured into a d’Achouffe tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a nice clear amber copper colour with a half finger white head that disappears almost immediately while leaving only very sparse lacing.
Aroma: Strong peat with maybe a touch of whisky, caramel, leafy and grass.
Taste: Sweet fruitiness that is mostly apple, medicinal peat and smoky wood.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with low to moderate carbonation.
Overall: The peat from the Islay whisky casks is obviously there and I like it. But after that, the taste is overly sweet which I’m quite particular with.

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

clan-brewing-spruce-ale-3